Former Kmart #4064

NOTE: This post comes from outside the blog's coverage area.

This particular Kmart store was clearly one that was expanded upon and some money was spent to update it in the 1990s. As you will see from the store map, the clothing section of the store was expanded into what was very likely a Kmart Foods space. The garden shop also got a substantial update complete with a new entrance. At one point in time, this store was even a candidate to be replaced by a Super Kmart that would of opened down the road in the area where a Walmart now operates. Obviously that supercenter never happened, but it is still fun to think 'What if?'.

Cranberry Mall

The Cranberry Mall was likely built at some in the late 1980s, as it shares a lot of traits with the Columbia Mall near Bloomsburg, PA which is confirmed to have opened in 1988. The reason I say the two are similar is because they both likely opened with the same anchors of JCPenney, Sears, Bon-Ton and Hills. Both Hills locations would convert to Ames and funny enough both in turn would both be partly reused by Dunham's Sports. Unlike Bloomsburg, an Ollie's Bargain Outlet would open in the remainder of the Ames space.

When I visited back in 2016, I would of rated this a C-class mall since JCPenney had already closed at that point. Sadly, this mall today is not in great shape and definitely belongs in the D-dying category. Bon-Ton closed as part of its bankruptcy last year while Sears had closed this location in late 2017. This leaves Dunham's as the sole anchor with mall access. A future blog post will highlight this Bon-Ton store during its final weeks of its liquidation sale.

JCPenney already closed, but left their signage behind

Former KB Toys!

While I personally love the architecture and design here, I don't see a bright future for this mall. The mall has already gone past the tipping point and with the recent GNC announcement of them pulling certain mall locations, I can't help but feel it this location will be among them. There was a period of time where the former Sears was apparently being looked at by Rural King, but any hope for that conversion will not happen since Rural King bought the former Kmart in Franklin.